At first Melinda, believes she shouldn’t speak up. She is isolated, and under pressure, as the book states that she really doesn’t have any friends. Her rapist goes to her school and is with her ex-best friend. Not much is known about Melinda’s previous self as the book focuses on her persona after the rape. However, what can be seen is that Melinda changes drastically after the rape. The book describes how she stops caring about her appearance, she bites her lips, she scratches herself, she stops talking, and overall just stops caring about herself in general. The rape changes her, physically and mentally. As the book progresses, she recognizes the harm in her actions, and changes again, for the better. She also realizes her own strength,
